Photographic type composition



July 21, 1964 R. c. OBRIEN 3,141,395

' PHOTOGRAPHIC TYPE COMPOSITION Filed June 30, 1960 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I00 FIG -1 KEYBOARD a PERMUTATION SWITCHES AUXILIARY KEYBOARD SC SC SC SC SC SC 2 4 8 I6 32 64 LC I28 END OF LINE PIOLET UNIT INVENTOR.

RICHARD C. O'BRIEN M 49 Zy ATTOR NEYS July 21, 1964 c, O'BRIEN 3,141,395

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230 I A A A A A A E 4 365 3 222 510 222 222 3737 "[51- ""5 w 302 303 304 as A 30: 301.1 302a 303a 304a 3053 D5 TO sPAcg 31s 7 s 2 cs cs 3801 c AccuMuLAToR' AHEAD cs Dz RESET 7 375 A A A R IN VEN TOR. I l l 1 RICHARD c. O'BRIEN ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,1413% PHDTGGRAPHIC TYPE C(EMPQSHTIUN Richard C. GBrien, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Harris- Intertype Corporation, Cleveland, @hio, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 30, 1%6, Ser. No. $9,858 12 Claims. (Cl. 9S4.5)

This invention relates to phototypecomposing, and particularly to apparatus for selecting characters in desired sequence to form a line of composition and for determining the actual space, in physical measurements, which will be occupied by these characters.

The present invention is described in relation to a phototypesetting system wherein the apparatus is divided into two parts, a first or keyboard machine which prepares a coded record containing the information for a page, or number of pages, of composition, and a second apparatus which operates from the coded record and exposes the galley film used in preparing (for example) a lithographic or similar printing plate. In such a system the keyboard operator, or composer, manipulates the selection keys in a selected sequence determining the succession of desired characters in lines of composition. He also determines the magnification or reduction of characters from the font carrying discs in the photographic machine which will result in the desired size of character images exposed onto the galley film.

The selection and space computing system in accordance with the invention comes into action immediately when the first character key is depressed to select the first character in a line of composition. The system makes a coded record (for example in binary code) which serves as identification of the selected character. Presumably a coded record may already have been made of the font from which characters are being selected, and of the point set factor which will be determinative of the optical magnification or reduction of the characters projected from the selected font to obtain the desired image size. As each character is selected the system operates to determine the relative orunit width of that character with reference to the other characters in the font, and then uses this relative width information and the point set factor to determine the actual width in picas and fractions thereof to be occupied by the character image on the galley film.

An important object of this invention is to provide improved character selection and space computing apparatus of the above described type which is capable of fast and exact operation, yet requires a minimum of parts and circuitry.

Another object of this invention is to provide improved space computing apparatus for performing the aforementioned functions, including a space computing disc with impulse generating means in several different radial zones, and a selective impulse pickup which can be adjusted to operate from a selected one of these zones to provide a desired variable number of impulses for each complete cycle of relative movement between the disc and such selective pickup.

A further object of this invention is to provide such improved character selection and space computing apparatus wherein a single counter is utilized for both functions, and wherein the apparatus includes circuitry for op erating the counter first to determine the unit width information for a selected character, and then to cooperate with other space computing apparatus in determining the actual space to be occupied by the recorded image of the elected character.

As mentioned previously, the system is divided into.

two parts, and the actual photographic exposure of the galley film is performed by a second or photographic ap- 3,141,395 Patented July 21, 1964 paratus which operates from the coded record prepared by the keyboard machine. In a preferred embodiment of the invention only three types of information are recorded in the coded record. These are character identification code, justification information, and function codes. The codes cover several different categories such as font selection, location of an interword space, in some instances point set factor information, correction information, kerning and leading information, and others.

Obviously, the speed of operation of the photographic machine is not limited by the physical capabilities of the composer manipulating the keyboard, and therefore the photographic machine may read the coded information and perform the actual photographic type composing operation, i.e., exposing properly sized character images to the galley film and spacing successive character images properly, at a speed considerably faster than the coded record is prepared. In such a high speed machine, in order to obtain accurate operation at very high speeds, it is desirable to use high speed electronic apparatus wherever possible to avoid physical limitations of mechanical moving parts. Therefore, in the photographic machine it may be desirable to replace the space computing apparatus above described, including the space computing disc which utilizes relative motion and physical impulse generation to supply the space computing impulses which represent actual width occupied by projected character images with fully electronic computers. In so doing, it becomes necessary to match the operation of the fully electronic space computing mechanism with the mechanical electronic space computing apparatus in the keyboard machine.

The photographic machine determines the spacing for a projected character image merely by reading the character identification code from the prepared record and by having determined the point set factor by which the unit width of a selected character is to be multiplied. The point set factor data can be determined from a reading of the coded record, where such information has been recorded as one of the function records, or can be set into the photographic machine manually by an operator. In either event,'the photographic machine reads the character identification code, operates to project a properly sized image of the selected character onto the galley film and similarly determines the unit width of the character, multiplies this unit width by the point set factor, and operates through suitable transducers to produce character spacing movement between the galley film and the optical projection system to allot the appropriate space to the character image which has been recorded on the galley film. In performing such multiplication operation electronically, the products thus obtained as a burst or string of electronic impulses of predetermined number may total something less than an integral number of discrete spacing units, hereinafter called piclets, and in order to adapt the electronic spacing computing apparatus to produce outputs which are equal to an integral number of piclets, it is desirable to provide a divider counter which is capable of determining whether or not any count retained therein at the end of a character space computing operation is equivalent to more or less than one-half of a piclet. This divider counter can then clear itself and produce an output pulse for any remainder of one-half or more of a piclet and clear itself without an output for any remainder of less than one-half piclet.

Accordingly, another object of this invention is to provide wholly electronic character space computing apparatus which produces an output matched'to the mechanical-electronic space computing mechanism above described, and as used in the keyboard machine, while operating at substantially greater speeds than the keyboard space computing mechanism.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the apended claims.

In the drawings- FIG. 1 is a schematic and block type diagram of the keyboard machine for a phototypesetting system in accordance with this invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are detail views of the timing and computing disc, and the associated pickups;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the manner in which the stages of the line length accumulator counter and the word space counter are interconnected and provided with suitable read out circuitry;

FIG. 5 is a schematic and block type diagram showing the essential parts of the photographic machine; and

FIG. 6 is a diagram of the divider counter circuit which matches the operation of the electronic space computing apparatus in the photographic machine with the electromechanical space computer of the keyboard machine.

The present invention is disclosed in combination with other features of phototypesetting apparatus which includes a first or keyboard machine, shown schematically in FIG. 1, and which is adapted to preparea record tape of the lines of composition, and a second or photograpthic machine which operates under control of the prepared tape to produce an exposed galley film on which the lines of composition are formed as latent photographic images to be developed. The keyboard machine includes a main keyboard 10 which has a number of keys for selection of different characters, together with permutation switches which cooperate with the keys in known manner to produce a binary selection code in the form of electrical pulses or voltage applied to one or more of the seven selection output lines 12. These lines are connected through diode rectifiers 13 to the selector output lines 14, also seven in number, which lead to the first seven of eight input lines 15 controlling operation of a conventional coding and recording mechanism such as a punch unit 26 through which record tape, for example in the form of paper tape 22 to be perforated in a characteristic manner is supplied for producing a permanent record respective of each character selected by operation of the keyboard 10.

All of the characters which make up a font, including upper and lower case letters, numerals, punctuation, etc., should be alloted space in accordance with their relative widths. For example, the character M obviously requires considerably more width than the character i. Furthermore, for versatility in machines of this type it is desirable to enlarge or reduce the characters in the photographic machine through a suitable optical system, and in such optical change allowance must be made for the variation in actual width occupied by the same characters at different enlargements. This may be conveniently accomplished by determining the relative or unit width of any selected character and multiplying this unit width by a point set factor which is a function of the enlargement produced by the optical system at that time, and whereby the product of unit width and the point set factor is representative of the actual width occupied by each selected character. in accordance with this invention the unit width measurements and point set factors are so selected that the actual width of each character is represented by a digital output defining the actual width of the selected characters in pleas and fractions of a pica, hereafter referred to as piclets.

For the purpose of determining the relative or unit width of each selected character, and thence computing the actual space to be occupied by that character at a given point set, the keyboard code output lines 12 are connected respectively to seven buffer amplifier units 25, 25a, [2, c, d, e, j, which in turn are connected to preset the individual stages SCI, 5C2, SC4, S08, SC16, S032 and SCM of a selector counter-space computer binary counter. These stages may conveniently be in the form of conventional EcclesJordan or similar flip-flop stages connected in cascade. This counter is designed to perform a dual function, namely first to select the unit space information pertaining to a selected character which is identified by the input code through the aforementioned buffer amplifier, and secondly to cooperate with other apparatus in computing the actual space information for the selected character.

The unit space information is provided by a six digit binary code formed as differential light transmitting portions on a continuously rotating space code disc 30 which is fixed to a rotating shaft 32 driven by motor 33. The code is formed by having light transmitting slits (or inversely opaque marks) on the disc 30 in each of the six code positions, and the selected unit space information is picked up by causing flashing of a high speed flash lamp 35, under the control of a flash control unit 37 to energize appropriate ones of the six pickup photocells 40, each one of which is positioned in alignment with a respective code position. These photocells have six separate output lines 42 which extend to the buffer amplifiers 2511-3 for presetting the corresponding stages SCZ-SCM, of the counter in accordance with the selected space code.

Accordingly, when a character is selected by pressing a key on keyboard 10, the character selection code is set up in lines 12 and is transmitted through the rectifiers 13 and lines 14 to the punch input lines 15, for the purpose of actuating the punch to produce a characteristic punch code in the record tape 22 which identifies the character selected. At the same time the selection code is transmitted through the lines 12 to the buffer amplifiers 25, 25114, to preset the selector counter to the identification code number. The unit space code information on the rotating disc 30 is arranged in complementary fashion such that the unit space code for a selected character is spaced from a fixed point on the disc by a number of places which is, in the count of places, a complemerit of the selection code entered in the selector counter.

The fixed position, also referred to as the synchronizing position, is determined by a synchronizing light transmitting mark 45 on a timing and computing disc 50 which is secured to shaft 32 in predetermined fixed position with respect to code disc 30, and cooperates with a photocell 52 and a light source 53 (FIG. 3) on the opposite side of disc Stl to produce a synchronizing pulse once for each revolution of the discs 30 and 50. This synchronizing pulse is transmitted through line 54 to a control gate circuit G1. This gate circuit is controlled by a flip-flop circuit F1 to follow the state thereof. Thus, when flip-flop F1 is in its first or 0 state G1 is closed or will not pass pulses transmitted thereto, and when F1 is in its 1 state, G1 is open and pulses transmitted through line 54 will be passed on through line 55 to a second control flip-flop F2. F1 is normally in its 0 state, closing gate G1, but will be switched to its 1 state by transmission of an initiate pulse through line 57 from keyboard It). A pulse is transmitted through this line each time a character is selected, by depression of a key, or in some other suitable manner.

The timing disc 50 also is provided with pulse generating marks about its entire periphery in a radial zone separate from the synchronizing mark, and these timing marks cooperate with the aforementioned light source and a photocell 6b to generate timing pulses in line 62 which are transmitted to a further gate circuit G2 connected to follow flip-flop F2. Therefore, since F2 is normally in its 0 or off state, the gate G2 also will normally be closed and timing pulses will not pass through this circuit until F2 is caused to switch by receiving a pulse from line 55 through gate G1. However, when this occurs and F2 switches to its 1 state, G2 will open and pulses from line 62 will pass through G2 and its output line 64 to the input on stage SCI of the selector counter. At the same time, a reset pulse will pass on line 65 to flip-flop F1, causing it to revert to its normal 0 or oflf state and gate G1 will again close. Timing pulses will continue to pass through G2 into the selector counter until this counter fills up. For example, assuming that the binary code for a selected character is 0010100 (corresponding to 20 in algebraic numbers), then in order to fill up the selector counter 107 more pulses must be received, at which time the counter will read 1111111. The next or 108th pulse will clear the selector counter and cause an output pulse at its output line 70 which is connected to the input of a flip-flop circuit F3, and at the same time a reset pulse will pass through line 72 to reset F2 to its 0 state, closing G2. F3 is connected through line 75 to control the operation of flash circuit 37, such that the flash control unit follows the state of F3. Therefore, F3 is normally in a state Where the flash control unit is deenergized, but a pulse through the selector counter output 70 causes F3 to change its state and a pulse is transmitted through line 75 causing the flash control unit to produce an instantaneous flash of light from the flash lamp 35 as the space code information in the 108th position past the synchronizing or starting position is aligned with the photocell read-out bank 46). The impulses generated by one or more of these photocells will be transmitted through the outputs 42 to preset the selector counter stages SO2- SC64, through the bufier amplifiers ZSa-f, and these last six stages of the selector counter now function in cooperation with the computing disc 50 to compute the actual space to be occupied by the just selected character at a given point set.

The spacing computing operation proceeds as follows. When F3 was caused to change its state and actuate the flash control unit 37, this also produced a signal in line 78 causing the normally closed gate circuits G3 and G4 to open. The input to the selector counter is now through gate G3 and line '79 which receives impulses from the units photocell St} which cooperates with units pulse generating marks on disc 50, there being for example one units mark for each quadrant, or four for each complete revolution of disc 50. The pulses generated by photocell 8%) thus pass through line 82 to gate G3 and thence are buffered into stage SC2 of the selector, to accumulate therein and eventually to fill up the last six stages of this counter which have now been preset to a binary number representing the unit space width of the previously selected character, from the space code disc 30.

The input to gate Ga is from a piclets photocell 85 which transmits pulses through line 86 to gate G4, and when thisgate is open to the input line 87 of the line length accumulator counter which comprises twelve binary stages identified as LC1LC4096. The piclets input pulses to this counter each represent a discrete fraction of a pica, which is a standard printers measurement equaling approximately one-sixth of an inch.

There are a number of different characteristic radial zones from which the piclets photocell 85 may read selectively, as shown in FIG. 2. This selection is accomplished by moving the photocell 85 into alignment with a desired one of the radial zones of piclets impulses generating marks 91-95 such that a greater or less number of piclets impulses will be generated by this photocell between successive units impulses generated by the photocell 80.

As the units impulses are transmitted to and accumulated in the selector counter, this counter will begin to fill, and the number of units pulses required to fill the selector counter will be the complement of the unit space code preset into the counter from the photocell bank 40. Thus, when the last six stages of the selector counter are filled from the units input through gate G3, then the next units input pulse will transmit through line 70 to F3, causing this flip-flop to revert to its normal state and close the gate circuits G3 and G4. The total number of impulses transmitted through gate G4 to the line length accumulator counter during this interval will thus represent a digital input the sum of which is the total actual space to be occupied by the selected character, and this information is stored in the line length counter in this manner for each selected character, with subsequently received space information being added to that already stored in the counter to maintain a summation of the space in the line of composition to be occupied by the characters, added to a preset value which represents the difference between a desired line length and the total capacity of the accumulator counter.

Similarly, every time there is an interword space in the line of composition the operator presses the space bar on the keyboard which closes a switch and transmits a pulse through output line which connects through the auxiliary keyboard to the line 107 which transmits input pulses to the first stage of a word spacecounter comprising six cascade connected binary stages WCl, WCZ, WC4, WCS, WC16 and W032. Thus this counter maintains a summation of the number of word spaces in the line of composition. At the same time, a code is set up in lines 12 which actuates the punch unit 20 to produce a code indicating the presence of an interword space in the line.

For this purpose of reading the information in the line length accumulator counter and word space counter each stage of each of these counters is connected through a following amplifier to operate a relay. A typical arrangement of a binary stage with its following amplifier and relay, and showing also the reversing connection between successive cascade connected stages, is shown in FIG. 4. It should be understood that this arrangement is followed for all stages of the line length accumulator counter and the word space counter, with certain exceptions as will be noted.

Thus, referring to FIG. 4, the binary stage has an input connection 110 to an input condenser 112 connected to both cathodes of the input dual diode, which may be for example type 6AL5. The plates of the dual diodes are connected to the plates of a dual triode, for example type 5963 which is incorporated in a conventional Eccles- Jordan circuit as shown. These plate circuits are also connected through 100 mmf. capacitors to the forwar and reverse output contacts 115 and 116 for this stage, which may be alternately connected through the relay control switch 120 to transmit carry pulses to the input line 122 of the next stage. In the usual manner, one side or the other of the dual triode is conducting while the opposite side is cut off, and this condition reverses in response to each input pulse received at the input capacitor 112. Thus, the grids of the dual triode are alternately, and oppositely, at a slightly positive potential, and a following connection 125 is provided to the grid of a triode amplifier tube 127 which controls the flow of current through the coil of a relay 130. When triode 127 conducts relay 130 will be energized to close the contacts thereof and prepare a circuit through the contact 132 and a neon bulb 133 to a characteristic output line in the eight channel output matrix 15 which controls operation of punch 20.

This circuit is not completed until the end of the line of composition is reached, and therefore the outputs are shown schematically from the line length accumulator counter and the Word space counter, respectively, as output cables 135 and 136 (FIG. 1) which go to the end of line control 140. Therefore, although the relay 130 of each stage of these counters may be energized or deenergized several times during the composition of a line, only the final setting of these relays, after the line has been completed, is utilized to complete the read out circuits which then cause coded information to be, punched into tape 22 corresponding to the complement of the summation of space occupied by characters from the line length accumulator counter (i.e., the space remaining to be divided up for word spaces) and the direct reading of the number of word spaces in the line from the word space counter.

FIG. is a schematic and block-type diagram showing the arrangement of the essential elements of the photographic machine. In this machine the coded record, in the form of the punched tape 22, is supplied in the direction of the arrows to a pair of spaced reading heads 150 and 155, in that order. The first reading head 150 to scan the tape is arranged to sense end of line information, for example, information as to the space not occupied by characters, as to the number of word spaces, leading information, information as to acceptance or rejection of the character information already past the head 150, and nonjustifying information. This reader 15% ignores information pertaining to character identification and/or spacing information. The tape is fed through the readers in the same direction as it was prepared, and therefore character and spacing data for an entire line of composition passes through the reader 150 before it senses the information at the end of the line, and when reader 150 does perceive this information it stops the tape there.

At the end of each line of composition, when the record tape is prepared in the keyboard machine, information is coded onto the tape by the end of line control 140, as noted previously. For purposes of controlling justification in the photographic machine, this information includes a representation of the space in a line of given or predetermined length not alloted to characters, and additional code information giving the number of interword spaces in the line. Thus, when the reader 150 stops at the end of line information, it reads this information and sets into the justifying computer 151 this unused space" and number of word spaces information through the input line 152. When the location of each interword space is determined, as will be explained below, the justiying computer 151 then operates to control the word space pulse generator 153 which has its output line 154 connected, as will be described, to control spacing movement and produce a proper word space for justification.

If the quotient resulting from dividing the number of interword spaces into the line remainder information is not an integral number, then any fractional remainder is retained in the justifier computer 151 and added to the output producing spacing for the next justified interword space.

In the meantime, the code tape is gathering in a loop between the reading heads, and the first piece of information for the line is ready to pass into the reader 155, which has stopped on the end-of-line information for the preceding line. When the head 155 gets a go-ahead signal from head 150, it then proceeds to determine whether this first piece of information relates to character identification, or to some spacing or other character selection function first to be performed. Thus, assuming for purposes of example that the first line of composition on the tape has just reached the reading heads, and that the photographic machine has not been set up, and assuming also that the machine is equipped for automatic reading and adjustment of the point set factor, then the first piece of information read by the reader 155 may relate to the point set factor, and this will result in transmission of a signal on the output line 160 from the reading head 155 to an optical control transducer 162 which may adjust the position of the size control optical system 164 to produce the desired size of character image on the galley film 165. Also, the point set factor code is transmitted through line 157 to preset the first eight stages of a fourteen stage binary counter 168 which functions as the space computer. Such an arrangement is shown in greater detail in United States Patent 2,846,932, issued August 12, 1958.

The character stencils or character image defining parts are provided on a character matrix disc or carrier 170, and may preferably be arranged with several fonts of as Q characters located successively at a common radius onthe disc, there being for example two fonts to a disc as denoted by the different types of character A shown on the disc at different distances from the axes of rotation. Next the reading head 155, having set up the point set factor, will move to the next piece of code information on the tape, and assuming that this is another function signal representing the desired font, then a control signal will be passed from the output line 173 of reading head to the font selection transducer 175 which may function, as indicated schematically, to direct a beam of light by the font control apparatus 176 from the spark unit 178 through one or the other of the radial zones on the disc in which the selected font is located.

The next piece of information on tape 22 may relate to identification of the first character to be projected, and thus the reader 155 will transmit a character identification code through its output line 180 to a suitable coincidence circuit 132. In separate radial zones about the disc 170, apart from the zones containing the character fonts, are impulse generating marks 135, there being at least one mark aligned with each character in each font capable of generating an impulse at the precise instant when the corresponding character is aligned with the optical system. These impulse generating marks may be aligned to move between suitable light sources 187 and pickup photocells 190 and 192 which will generate impulses accordingly to be amplified by the corresponding amplifiers 193 and 194 and transmitted to the selector counter apparatus 195 which is connected to the coincidence circuit 182, as shown at 195.

The particular character selection and coincidence circuitry employed may be any of several types, for example of the type disclosed in said United States Patent 2,846,- 932, or of either type shown in the copending applications of Richard C. OBrien, Serial No. 640,741, filed filed February 18, 1957, now Patent No. 2,944,472, or of Richard C. OBrien, Serial No. 720,840, filed March 12, 1958, now Patent No. 3,059,219. In any event, when the code number of the selected character received through line 80 is found by the selection system, then the circuit 182 will recognize the coincidence and transmit an output pulse through line 200 to a gate circuit 202 which may be opened or prepared for such coincidence pulse by a connection through line 203 with the input 180 to the coincidence circuit. Therefore, gate 202 passes the coincidence or selection pulse and it is transmitted through the gate output line 204 and through the control line 205 ot the spark control unit 207 which then causes the sparking apparatus 178 to discharge and emit an instantaneous flash of light, creating an image of the selected character through the optical system 164. At the same time an impulse through line 208 closes the gate 202 to prevent passage of any further impulses from the coincidence circuit.

The selection impulse through line 205 also passes through line 209 to the space control unit 210 which is connected to flash the flash tube 215 at the same time that the spark unit 178 discharges. Light from the flash tube 215 is passed through a controlling lens 217 to cover a band or strip on the disc in which space code information is recorded corresponding to each character, in the form of twelve possible areas within the band which may be differentially light transmissive, such that one or more beams of light may pass in a code pattern to a bank of pickup photocells, one each of which is aligned with a position for a space code dot. Thus, the photocell pickup 220 will transmit pulses in one or more of its six pickup lines, as determined by the code on the disc, and these lines extend, as shown at 222, to the last six stages of the space computer, presetting these stages in accordance with the unit width for the just selected and exposed character. The computer 168 receives input pulses through line 225 from a pulse generator 227 which is started into operation by receiving a pulse from the gate amnes a 9, output 204. Pulse generator 227 may operate at a substantially high speed, for example in the neighborhood of 100 kilocycles or more.

The product of the unit width and point set factor will represent the actual spacing in picas and piclets to be given to the previously projected character image. This product is represented by causing the space computer 163 to emit an output pulse through line 230 effective to turn off pulse generator 227 when the space computer fills up, it having been preset with a space unit Width code and the point set factor as previously described. This operation is described in further detail in said United States Patent 2,846,932. The output 225 of pulse generator 227 also is connected to pass to the input of a divider counter circuit 235, and thus the total number of pulses emitted in a burst or string from pulse generator 2127, from the time it begins operation as a result of the coincidence or selection pulse until it was shut off by an output from the space computer, will represent the actual spacing to be given to the projected character image.

The information relating to point size of the characters is supplied through the eight lead cable 167 (FIG. 6), with each of the leads being connected to a respective suppressor grid of an and gate tube, Gil-G8, and these gates in turn control the presetting of the individual stages of an eight stage binary counter, hereinafter designated the P counter, and having stages P1-P8, respectively, and which therefore is capable of handling a count up to 256. The information supplied through cable 167 may be either from reading the punch tape, or through manual setting of a switch which is capable of impressing a positive pulse on a respective line of the cable. Thus, by appropriately presetting the P counter to a value which is the 256-complement of two times the desired point size, this counter is prepared for a space computatlon. This is the first portion of space computer 168.

The other basic unit of the space computer is the N counter having six stages N1-N6, each of which may be preset by a pulse received through amplifiers NA1-NA6 from the space reading photocells 301 and 301a, 302 and 302:1-306 and 306a, in the reading bank. As will be seen from the drawing (FIG. 6) each amplifier for presetting the N counter has a choice of two photocells, for example 301 or 301a. These may be utilized to read, selectivel unit space information for characters in different fonts on the matrix disc, and the selection may be accomplished by a selector relay, shown for purposes of example as the six blade relay 310 which controls these photocell leads simultaneously in any known manner.

The system also includes a four stage binary counter, the divider counter 235, and having four cascade connected binary stages CS1, CS2, CS3 and CS4, which may also be designated as the character space counter. The output of the last stage CS4 is connected through line 315 to the line length counter 320. Each pulse through this line represents a space of one piclet, equal to one sixty-fourth of a pica or approximately 0.0026 inch.

The line length counter 320 may be a suitable twelve stage binary counter which operates to control operation of the spacing transducers. The first six stages of counter 320 me connected to the spacing transducer 325 which controls displacement of the spacing prism system 327, used to perform spacing functions of less than a full pica. The seventh stage of counter 320 is connected through line 323 to the pica spacer transducer 330 which controls spacing movement of the film carriage indicated by the general reference numeral 332. Details of such a spacing system are described and claimed in the copending application of Hooven and OBrien, Serial No. 661,633, filed May 27, 1957, now Patent No. 2,966,835.

Thus, the spacing transducers 325 and 330 follow the first seven stages of line counter 320 and produce cumulative relative spacing movement between the galley film 165 and the optical system 164, with the appropriate spacing for each character image accomplished immediately following projection thereof onto the galley film.

Input pulses to the P counter (stage P1) and to the divider or character spacing counter (stage CS1) are provided through line 350 from the kc. pulse generator 227, the operation of which is controlled by an or gate circuit 355. Input pulses to the N counter are provided by the output of the P counter, and thus the last stage P8 is connected to supply an input to the first stage N1 of the N counter, as designated by line 357. This line is also connected through a delay circuit D1 to control the or" gate 355. The other input to or gate 355 is through line 360 from a control flip-flop F1 which may be flipped to its 1 position by a pulse entered through line 204, signifying a selection coincidence in the character selector of the second machine which has resulted in photographing of a character and also providing an entry through the photocells to the N" counter. The control flip-fiop is flopped or returned to its 0 state by receipt of a pulse from line .365 which is connected to the output 230 of stage N6 the last stage in the N counter.

As previously mentioned, an output from the P counter, P8, will pass through the delay circuit D1 to the or gate 355. The pulse from D1 also passes through line 3'70 to a phase inverter circuit 1, and thence to line 372 which is connected to the and gates Gl-GS for the purpose of resetting the P counter. The output from the N counter (line 230) is utilized to reset the character space divider counter by transmitting a pulse through a flip-flop stretcher S1 and reset line 37 5 to the reset amplifiers CA1, CA2, CA3 and CA4 which are connected to the corresponding four stages of the divider or character space counter to preset each stage to the flopped or 0 condition. At the same time, an output from S1 will pass through line 377 to a delay circuit D3 which in turn will transmit a delayed output pulse through line 380 to an or gate (not shown) controlling the operation of the reading head (FIG. 5).

The divider counter is arranged to perform two special functions. First, it will have an output available through line 315 after twelve input pulses are received from line 350, thus operating to divide by twelve the pulses received and to provide output pulses each of which is equal to a space of one piclet, derived from the product of two times the point size and unit Width value divided by twelve. Also, the divider or character space counter will drop a remainder therein which is equal to less than one-half a piclet, while converting a remainder equal to or greater than one-half piclet (but less than a whole piclet) into a whole piclet, or in other words an output pulse through line 315. These functions are accomplished by reason of a feed back loop in the divider counter coupled from the third stage CS3 back into the second stage CS2 through a delay circuit D2 which may provide a delay in transmission of about ten microseconds.

The following example will clarify the operation of the above described circuit, referring particularly to FIG. 6. Assuming a desired point size of four and one-half, and that the unit width value for a selected character is five, the P counter is preset by multiplying the point size by two and determining the 256 complement, which is 247. This number is preset into the P counter through the gates G1-G8 to flip into the 1 conditions the following stages of that counter: P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7, P3.

The units or N counter is preset to the 64- complement of the unit width value, and therefore for a five unit character (assumed) the N counter is preset to 59. This is done by energizing the photocells 301a, 302a, 304a, 305a and 306a during selection of the character, to preset into the flipped or 1 condition the stages N1, N2, N4, N5 and N6.

The selector coincidence pulse through line 204 (the output of gate 202 in FIG. 5) will flip the control circuit F1 to the 1 condition and turn on pulse generator 227.

For each group of nine pulses received into the P counter, one output pulse is available at line 357. After a ten microsecond delay (D1), during which time pulse generator 227 is shut off, an inverted pulse will pass through line 372 to reset the P counter to the value 247 (or 11101111). This same output pulse from the P counter (P8) passes from line 357 to the input of the N counter, and when five such pulses have accumulated in the N counter an output signal pulse is available in line 230 to flop the F1 control, turning off" the pulse generator 227 until the next character selection.

Therefore, a total of forty-five pulses (nine times five), are coupled into the P counter to arrive at an output signal pulse indicating the end of computation. These forty-five pulses are at the same time being coupled into the divider or character space counter 235 through line 559. This counter is, as previously explained, arranged to divide its input by twelve to convert the product of two times the point size and the unit width value into piclets. Therefore, the forty-five pulses coupled into CS1 will result in three piclet or output pulses in line 315 and a remainder of nine pulses in the divider counter (fortyfive divided by twelve). These extra nine pulses will flip the stages CS1, CS2 and CS4 into the 1 condition, where the divider counter will stop at the end of the computation.

When the divider counter is cleared by the reset pulse coming from the stretcher flip-flop S1 through line 375, an extra piclet or output pulse is available in line 315 because CS4 was in the flipped or 1 condition and will pass on an output pulse when reset. Therefore, the space accumulator counter 32% receives a total of four piclet pulses, since the remainder of nine was in excess of onehalf of twelve, where twelve input pulses to the divider counter equal an output or piclet pulse. Thus, the act of clearing the divider or character space counter 235 after each computation has the effect of always providing an integral number of piclets to the space accumulator counter 320, matching the output of the computer disk 50 (FIG. 1) in the first unit or keyboard machine. If the results of computation in the electronic computer system leave a remainder of less than one-half piclet (five or fewer remainder pulses through line 225), the remainder is dropped. If the remainder is equal to or greater than one-half piclet, six inputs to CS1, the remainder is converted into a whole piclet.

When the second reader 155 finds the code which indicates presence of a justified word space, it then will transmit an initiating signal through line 401 which will cause the justifying computer 151 to operate and perform the necessary spacing for a justified word space, with the output 154 of the word space pulse generator directed into the accumulator counter 320 which in turn controls the spacing transducer as above mentioned.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that in the first or keyboard unit of the machine, which prepares the coded tape or other record, the space computing operation is accomplished by apparatus which functions at a sufficiently high rate to keep up with operation of the keyboard by the operator. The apparatus which performs the space computing in the keyboard machine includes the computing disk which by reason of its construction has a fixed or integral number of piclet output pulses, since the pulses are in the form of physical pulse generating marks on the disk. However, although sufiicient for the needs of the keyboard unit, this apparatus is limited in its speed of operation, and thus would impose speed limitations upon operation of the second unit or photographic unit, which operates from the coded record and which preferably should be capable of a rate of operation substantially in excess of the speed of operation of the keyboard machine. The space computing system for the photographic maclnne thus is an all electronic apparatus which is capable of high speed operation (cf., the 100 kc. pulse generator 2127), yet provides output pulses which represent integral piclets, and are therefore matched to the original piclet impulses with which the space was computed in the keyboard unit. Therefore, the all-electronic space computing apparatus of the photographic machine matches the electromechanical apparatus of the keyboard unit, yet operates at a substantially higher rate while producing the same character spacing for the projected character images which are then being recorded upon the galley film.

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitutes preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a selector counter, means connected to preset said counter to a code number representing a selected character in a line of composition, means operative with said counter to determine from the character selection code a further code number representing the unit width of the selected character relative to other characters of varying widths, means connected to reset said counter to said further code number, means for representing a variable point set factor by which the unit width of selected characters is to be modified in computing the actual width of the projected image of each character, means operating with said counter and said factor representing means to produce an output representing the product of the point set factor and the unit width information in said counter, and accumulator means receiving said products and operative to maintain a continuous sum thereof representing the actual space in a line of composition to be occupied by the projected character images.

2. Space computing apparatus for phototypesetting machines, comprising means for creating a selection code representative of a character to be reproduced, a selector counter, means including said selector counter responsive to said selection code to determine and represent the unit width of the selected character relative to other characters of varying widths, a connection between said selector counter and said unit width representing means operative to reset said selector counter to a code number corresponding to said unit width of the selected character, means for representing a variable point set factor by which the unit Width of selected characters is to be modified to compute the actual width of a projected image of each selected character, means connected with said counter and said point set factor representing means to produce a digital output representing the product of unit width and point set factor, and accumulator means receiving said digital outputs and operative to maintain a sum of said digital outputs representing the actual space in a line of composition to be occupied by the projected character images.

3. Apparatus for photographic type setting, comprising a keyboard and means operative thereby to create a coded representation of each character selected by actuation of a key, means connected to produce a permanent record of the character identifying code to assemble information for a line of composition, means responsive to the character identification code to compute the actual space to be occupied by an image of the selected character and to create a signal which is a digital representation of such actual space information, accumulator means connected to receive said signals and to maintain a sum thereof, means responsive to completion of a line of composition to produce a permanent coded record related to the sum then represented in said accumulator means, means maintaining a sum of the number of spaces between words in the line of composition, and means for recording a coded representation of the number of word spaces used in each line.

4. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a selector counter, means connected to preset said counter to a code number representing a selected character in a line of composition, means operative with said counter to determine from the character selcction code a further code number representing the unit width of the selected character relative to other characters of varying widths, means connected to reset said counter to said further code number, means for representing a variable point set factor by which the unit width of selected characters is to be modified in computing the actual width of the projected image of each character, means operating with said counter and said factor representing means to produce an output representing the product of the point set factor and the unit width information in said counter, accumulator means receiving said products and operative to maintain a continuous difference between the actual space to be occupied by the projected character images in a line of composition of predetermined length and such predetermined length, and read out means operative with said accumulator means to represent in coded form the final difference therein at the end of a line of composition.

5. Apparatus for photographic typesetting, comprising a keyboard and means operative thereby to create a coded representation of each character selected by actuation of a key, means connected to produce a permanent record of each character identifying code in the form of markings on a record tape to assemble information for a line of composition, means selectively operable to represent a variable point set factor by which the unit width of selected characters is to be modified in computing the actual width of the projected image of each character, means responsive to said point set representing means and said character identifying code to compute the actual space to be occupied by an image of the selected character and to create a signal which is a digital representation of such actual space information, an accumulator counter connected to receive said signals and to maintain a sum thereof, read out means operative by said accumulator counter to represent in coded form the sum therein, and means responsive to completion of a line of composition to actuate said read out means and to produce therefrom a permanent coded record on said tape related to the sum then represented in said accumulator counter.

6. Apparatus for photographic typesetting, comprising a keyboard and means operative thereby to create a coded representation of each character selected by actuation of a key, means connected to produce a permanent record of each character identifying code in the form of markings on a record tape to assemble information for a line of composition, means selectively operable to represent a variable point set factor by which the unit width of selected characters is to be modified in computing the actual Width of the projected image of each character, means responsive to said point set representing means and said character identifying code to compute the actual space to be occupied by an image of the selected character and to create a signal which is a digital representation of such actual space information, an accumulator counter connected to receive said signals and to maintain a sum thereof, read out means operative by said accumulator counter to represent in coded form the complement of sum therein with respect to a predetermined line length, means maintaining a sum of the number of spaces between Words in the line of composition, and means for recording the number of word spaces used in each line in coded representation of said tape along with code information derived from said accumulator counter.

7. A phototypesetting system comprising a keyboard and means operated thereby to create a unique selection code representing each character selected by actuation of a key, means connected to said code creating means producing a record of each character code in the order selected to assemble information for a line of composition, means selectively operable to represent a variable point set factor, means controlled by said point set representing means and said character selection code means for computing the actual space to be occupied by an image of each selected character at the selected point set factor and to provide a digital signal representing said actual space information, an accumulator counter connected to receive and to sum said digital signals, means maintaining a sum of the number of spaces between words in a line of composition, and means operated from said accumulator counter and said word space sum at the end of each line to produce and to record a coded representation of actual space not occupied by characters and the number of word spaces in the preceding recording line.

8. In a phototypesetting system the combination of a keyboard and means operative thereby to create a coded representation of each character selected by actuation of a key, a unit width memory device providing unit width space coded information for each character, a selector counter arranged to be preset from said keyboard and operatively connected with said memory device to locate the unit width code for a selected character, an output from said memory device coupled to said counter and adapted to reset said counter to a number representing the unit width of the selected character, means for representing a variable point set factor by which the unit width of selected characters is to be modified in computing the actual width of the projected image of the selected character, means operating with said counter and said factor representing means to produce a digital output corresponding to the product of the point set factor and the unit width information in said counter, an accumulator receiving said products and operative to maintain a continuous sum thereof representing the actual space in a line of composition to be occupied by the projected character images, and read out means actuated from said accumulator at the end of composition of a line to represent in coded form the space in a line of predetermined length not allotted to characters.

9. In a phototypesetting system the combination of a keyboard and means operative thereby to create a coded representation of each character selected by actuation of a key, a unit width memory device providing unit width space code information for each character, a selector counter arran ed to be preset from said keyboard and operativeiy connected with said memory device to locate the unit Width code for a selected character, an output from said memory device coupled to said counter and adapted to reset said counter to a number representing the unit width of the selected character, means for representing a variable point set factor by which the unit width of selected characters is to be modified in computing the actual width of the projected image of the selected character, means operating with said counter and said factor representing means to produce a digital output corresponding to the product of the point set factor and the unit width information in said counter, an accumulator receiving said products and operative to maintain a continuous sum thereof representing the actual space in a line of composition to be occupied by the projected character images, read out means actuated from said accumulator at the end of composition of a line to represent in coded form the space in a line of predetermined length not alloted to characters, means operative from said keyboard to maintain a sum of spaces between words in composition of a line, and a connection between said word space summation means and said read out means operative to represent the number of word spaces in coded form at the end of composition of a line.

10. In a phototypesetting machine adapted to operate from a prepared code record representing a preselected succession of characters in a line of composition and a space remainder representing the amount of space in a line of predetermined length not to be occupied by the actual character images and therefore to be divided among interword spaces to produce a justified line, the combination of means responsive to the record for projecting in the preselected succession character images of predetermined size in accordance wtih the unit Width of each selected character in relation to other characters of varying widths and a point set factor representing a modification of all unit widths, computer means responsive to projection of an individual character image to multiply its unit Width by the point set factor and to provide a digital output related to the total space occupied by the projected character image, a divider counter connected to receive said digital outputs and to transmit a distinct digital output which represents a predetermined fraction of the total received and each digit of which represents an actual fractional width measurement of the projected character image, reset means connected to said divider counter for presetting it to an initial condition after comd puting of width information for each individual character image, and clearing means connected to said divider counter and responsive to presetting thereof to produce an additional digit output for a remainder in said divider counter which is at least equal to a predetermined fraction of the total digit inputs required to produce an output from said divider counter, said clearing means operating to eliminate any remainder of said divider counter which is less than said predetermined fraction.

11. A phototypesetting system comprising a keyboard and means operated thereby to create a unique selection code representing each character selected by actuation of a key, means connected to said code creating means producing a record of each character code in the order selected to assemble information for a line of composition, means selectively operable to represent a variable point set factor, means controlled by said point set factor means and said character selection code means for computing the actual space to be occupied by an image of each selected character and to provide a digital signal representing said actual space information, an accumulator counter connected to receive and to sum said digital signals, means maintaining a sum of the number of spaces between words in a line of composition, means operated from said accumulator counter and said word space sum at the end of each line to produce and to record a coded representation of actual space not occupied by characters and of the number of word spaces in the preceding recorded line, a character carrier having characters of different relative widths thereon and code data associated with each character representing its relative width with respect to the other characters, a flashing light source operable to create images of individual characters from said carrier, selector means controlled by the selection code record to operate said light source and to produce successive images of characters in accordance with said record, reading means operable with said selector means to read the relative width code for each selected character at the time its image is produced, optical means cooperating with said light source to form character images of predetermined and variable size relation with respect to the character on said carrier in accordance with the point set factor, a high speed computer having one input control variable with the selected point set factor and a further input controlled by said reading means, said computer operating after projection of each character image to provide a digital output related to the space occupied by the character image, a divider receiving said output from said computer and transmitting a distinct digital spacing output representing a predetermined fraction of the total input from said computer, each output digit from said divider representing an actual fractional width measurement of the character image, reset means connected to said divider for presetting it to an initial condition after computing width information for each individual character image, and clearing means connected to said divider and responsive to presetting thereof to produce an additional output pulse for any remainder in said divider at least equal to a predetermined fraction of the digital input thereto from said computer required to produce a spacing output, said clearing means operating to eliminate any remainder in said divider of less value than said predetermined fraction.

12. In phototypesetting apparatus of the character described the combination of means for projecting character images in preselected succession along a common optical path, means for selecting the succession of characters to be projected, means for determining and representing the unit width of each selected character with respect to other characters of varying widths in the order of selection of the characters, means defining the common path along which successive character image bearing light beams are projected, means for mounting photosensitive record material in predetermined position for focusing the image bearing beams thereon, means producing relative spacing movement between said record material mounting means and said common path for spacing the projected character images relative to each other in accordance with the width requirements of each projected image, means for representing a variable point set factor by which the unit Width of selected characters is to be modified to compute the actual wit th of a projected image of each selected character, computer means connected with said unit width representing means and point set factor representing means to produce a digital output representing the product of unit width and point set factor, transducer means connected to receive said digital output and operative on said spacing movement means to cause spacing movement, a divider counter connected between said computer and said transducer means for converting said digital outputs from said computer into modified digital outputs each digit of which represents an actual measurement of space in said spacing movement, means for resetting said divider counter after computation of the actual space requirement for each character image, and a clearing circuit for said divider counter operable upon resetting of said divider counter to produce an additional output for a remainder therein representing one-half or more of the total digital input thereto required to produce an output and operable to cancel out any remainder of less than one-half.

I References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,540,027 Dodge Jan. 30, 1951 2,682,814 Higonnet July 6, 1954 2,762,485 Bafour Sept. 11, 1956 2,816,609 Rosetto Dec. 17, 1957 2,847,919 Rosette Aug. 19, 1958 2,876,687 Higonnet Mar. 10, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,11 7 Fr ncs e 5, 1 5.5 

1. IN APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, THE COMBINATION OF A SELECTOR COUNTER, MEANS CONNECTED TO PRESET SAID COUNTER TO A CODE NUMBER REPRESENTING A SELECTED CHARACTER IN A LINE OF COMPOSITION, MEANS OPERATIVE WITH SAID COUNTER TO DETERMINE FROM THE CHARACTER SELECTION CODE A FURTHER CODE NUMBER REPRESENTING THE UNIT WIDTH OF THE SELECTED CHARACTER RELATIVE TO OTHER CHARACTERS OF VARYING WIDTHS, MEANS CONNECTED TO RESET SAID COUNTER TO SAID FURTHER CODE NUMBER, MEANS FOR REPRESENTING A VARIABLE POINT SET FACTOR BY WHICH THE UNIT WIDTH OF SELECTED 